CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT.   Term Paper ID:16711 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Causes, historical & legal frameworks, social work aspects, impact on children, family issues, stressors, therapeutic & supportive approaches.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Causes, historical & legal frameworks, social work aspects, impact on children, family issues, stressors, therapeutic & supportive approaches. Paper Introduction: CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: CAUSES AND ISSUES INTRODUCTION Child abuse is a pervasive problem in our society. However, child abuse is difficult to identify due to the intricate components of definitions of child abuse and neglect. These vary among different sectors of the general public and among different professions concerned with the problem. For example, physical abuse is defined as "non-accidental physical harm to the child inflicted by persons responsible for the child's care." For some purposes "serious" harm is utilized; for others, the "intentional, willful" nature is emphasized. For still others, "danger to the child," and not intent, is stressed. The American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Standards Project defines child abuse as that which .. causes or creates a Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The organization of the New York County Society for the Prevention ofCruelty to Children in 1875 was the first major effort to ameliorate thisproblem. CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: CAUSES AND ISSUESINTRODUCTION Child abuse is a pervasive problem in our society. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc. The duties and responsibilities of these voluntary, non-publicagencies shifted to county departments of public welfare during the 196 s. Bentovim (1987:6 ) writes that:... Child abuse and neglect are family problems and should be evaluatedwithin a framework of understanding family interactions. Hecan trigger or provoke some of the responses that subsequently lead to whatcan be severe physical abuse or other forms of abuse. By 1978, protective services were provided in all states.CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT The rediscovery of child abuse as a major problem occurred in theearly 196 s. and S. London: Basil Blackwell Publishers. Protection wasgranted to Mary Ellen and her guardians were sent to prison. Bentovim (1987) points out that no child can be responsible for anadult's abusing him; however, one must have a value-free way of looking atfamily interactions.CONCLUSION AND SYNTHESIS Child abuse is difficult to identify because abuse and neglect occurin a society that condones a minimum of physical punishment institutionallyand in the home. 11:433-442. (1987). (1987). It is important to note that treatment programs have not beensuccessful in preventing abusive and neglectful behavior. Relation to child: spacing between births, size of family,parental attachment to child and parental expectations of child; (3). Daro. These vary among different sectorsof the general public and among different professions concerned with theproblem. Breakdown of parenting function in abusingfamilies: how can professionals think about these issues and be helpful? 433). (1973). Relevant factorsinclude individual capacities, cultural factors, and specific lifeexperiences. The report is divided into two primary sections. Thisis necessary to provide the legal foundation that initially establishedlegislation defining the nature of child abuse and neglect. Direct assistance to states to help them develop child abuse andneglect programs and support for research in the areas of child abuse andneglect are provided in the Act. Consequently, addictions, mental and physical stressors, and lack oftime/interest and/or concern for the child's welfare may lead the parent orparents to mistreat their children. we know from looking closely at patterns of family interaction, thatthe child can be stimulated to take part in destructive interactions. Is treatment too late: what tenyears of evaluative research tells us. Single parents are more likely to be high school dropouts,illiterate, have poor paying jobs or may be unemployed, and have inadequatehousing situations. 3). Yet, while analyzing this problem, we find that blameshould not be placed directly on the abuser. Relations between parents: intermarriage, marital disputes,stepparent/cohabitee or separated/single parents; (2). In reaction to the report, the American Academy of Pediatricians, theAmerican Medical Association, the Children's Bureau, and the AmericanHumane Association proposed legislation requiring reports of child abuse. London: Basil Blackwell Publishers. Browne, K. First, the natureof the problem is presented which includes an historical framework. Although programs areoffered, it appears that a thorough understanding of causes andconsequences is a preliminary step in alleviating incidents of abuse andneglect. The etiology of child abuse and neglect is complicated. For example, parents with negative childrearing experiences maybelittle the child or show little concern or interest in the child as aresult of early experiences with parents. States rapidly adopted such measures and the Federal Child AbusePrevention and Treatment Act was passed in January, 1974 and extended in1978. Due to a lack of legal measures toprotect her, concerned community leaders appealed to the Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals. causes or creates a substantial riskof causing disfigurement, impairment of bodily functioning or other seriousphysical injury" (Kadushin and Martin, 1981, p. (1986). References Bentovim, A. Law and Social Work Encyclopedia ofSocial Work. inPeter Maher (ed.), Child Abuse. However, childabuse is difficult to identify due to the intricate components ofdefinitions of child abuse and neglect. In A. (1987). One's individual capacities are related to common personalitycharacteristics such as psychopaths, depression, psychosis, mentalretardation, substance abuse, parental childrearing experiences, and socialisolation. Peters. and Martin, J.A. Cook andBowles (198 , p. This shift also caused an orientation of such agencies from a legal,child rescue focus to family oriented social work rehabilitation (Kadushinand Martin, 1981). 6). 44 ). There are many factors contributing to breakdown in familyfunctioning that result in child abuse and neglect. However, parents for various reasons (as pointed out above),physically and emotionally abuse/neglect/endanger children in their care. Brieland, D. Child Abuse and Neglect. Researchindicates that, regardless of interventions, 2 % of parents are treatmentfailures; 4 % permanently change their behaviors; and 4 % will no longerneglect or abuse their children (Cohn and Daro, 1987, p. Most abusers are over 3 yearsold and male abusers are older than female abusers (66% and 48%respectively are over 3 years old). Parent-child interaction in abusingfamilies: its possible causes and consequences. In Peter Maher (ed.),Child Abuse. Handbook ofClinical Social Work. For still others, "danger to the child,"and not intent, is stressed. 28-34. Mary Ellen's case was taken to court as an "animal" because therewere laws to protect animals, not humans, from abuse. Cohn, A. The 1875 case of "Mary Ellen" is cited as the origin of concern withthe problem. Second, individual parental factors, family factors, andenvironmental factors will be discussed.HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK The legalistic ramifications of the first reported instance of childabuse are relevant to the definitions of child abuse used today. 3) citing another author, point out that "abuse is anorderly outcome of a network of cultural and community forces that, inturn, affect the development of family interaction patterns leading toabusive incidents." There is agreement that abuse is only one symptom of a set ofunderlying forces that include: interpersonal aggressiveness, dissimilarbehavior (Cook and Bowles, 198 ), parental frustration (Rosenthal, 1987),parental dysfunction (Helfer, 1987), abuse as children (Oates, 1984),parental stress, learned abusive models, cultural tolerance for physicalpunishment, inappropriate expectations of a child, and lack of socialsupport, to name a few causes (Cook and Bowles, 198 ). Social work practice. Subsequently, similar societies were formed in San Francisco, Boston,Rochester, Baltimore, Buffalo, and Philadelphia. Prevention should include training services to enhance skillsnecessary to prevent abuse from: (1) ever occurring; (2) from occurring insubsequent generations; and (3) from recurring once it has been identified. It is asimportant to know characteristics of the parent(s), family factors, andenvironmental factors that are related to incidents of child abuse andneglect. (1986). B.Lippincott Co. C. Boston: Allyn &Bacon, Inc. It isimportant to note that abused animals were protected by laws before lawswere enacted for protecting abused and neglected children. and S. Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, pp.823-827. Dr. Brandt Steele, et al., notes that child abuse "is notconfined to people with psychopathic personality or borderlinesocioeconomic status. Bentovim (1987) notes that parents may not be totally responsible forchild abuse and neglect. (1981) Child abuse. A published report of these findings led to the concept "the batteredchild syndrome" (Kadushin and Martin, 1981, p. Mary Ellen was cruelly beaten and neglected by a couple withwhom she had lived since infancy. D. Issues in the definition ofchild sexual abuse in prevalence research. 78) outlines a "tentative model of thecauses of child abuse and neglect" that reflects situational stressors"composed of the following four components: (1). However, an interdisciplinary approach will be necessary to delineateparental interaction patterns. Structural stress: poor housing, unemployment, socialisolation, threats to parental authority, values, and self-esteem; (4) Child-produced stress: unwanted child, problem child, a childthat is incontinent, difficult to discipline, often ill, physicallydeformed, or retarded. and S. These factors reduce morale and self-esteem, contribute to alcoholismand drug addictions, cause economic hardship and health problems as theparent or parents attempt to deal with these external stressors. Hardcastle, D. Waldfogel (eds.). H. Regardless of the intent or the extent of physical harm, child abuseinflicts profound health, behavioral, emotional, social, and psychologicalscars on the abused. It also occurs among people with good educationaland stable financial and social backgrounds" (Cohn and Daro, 1987, p. (1983). and D. Parents who abuse and/or neglect their children are the perpetratorsin 87% of reported cases. (1986). Browne and Saqi (1987, p. Encyclopedia of Social Work. There may also beproblems arising from problems with older children, physical and childfactors, and adolescent parental factors. Goldfarb. Philadelphia: J. Fathers are more often the abuser (55%) thanmothers, who are abusers in 45% of reports. There are individual parentalfactors, family factors, and environmental factors that must be considered. Rosenblatt and D. For example, physical abuse is defined as "non-accidental physicalharm to the child inflicted by persons responsible for the child's care."For some purposes "serious" harm is utilized; for others, the "intentional,willful" nature is emphasized. The American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Standards Projectdefines child abuse as that which .. The thesis of this report is: child abuse has been a societal problemfor many years. E. These specialists calledattention to X-ray markings of "multiple, healed injuries" suffered bychildren, which appeared to be the result of abuse. pp. Child Abuse and Neglect, 1 :231-24 .----------------------- 1 (1977). Therapeutic and supportive services directed towards parents arenecessary to impact on the consequences of abuse. Family factors include parental collusion in maltreatment,scapegoating, non-traditional family composition (e.g., stepparents andreorganized, single and adolescent parents, etc.). The 196 s also generated a concern with child abuse amongradiologists, psychiatrists, and pediatricians. For example, for the single parent, family life may be stressful.Stress is generated from the combination of work pressures, familypressures, and the demands of childrearing, especially in single parentsituations. Wyatt, G. Dickson, Donald T. 826-844 Johnson, L. Saqi. Kadushin, A. By 19 , 161 societieshad been formed throughout the United States (Kadushin and Martin, 1981). Brill, N. Legal issues and legalservices. Prevention and treatment programs should be aimed at facilitatingpositive parent-child interactions of high-risk or abusive parents afterthese are identified. Certification, licensure, and other formsof regulation. Environmental factors include chronic stressors, situationalstressors (mentioned above), and precipitating stressors. (1987). New York:Columbia University Press. A. Working with People. The purpose of this report is to delineate the nature of child abuseand neglect and to discuss parental factors that are related to incidentsof child abuse. Washington, DC: NationalAssociation of Social Workers, pp. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.